Sport
26 August, 2025
Moungibi Magawas celebrate inaugural premiership
The Burketown side proved too good for the Doomadgee Dragons.
Moungibi Magawas co-captain Nikita Aitkens-Kum-Sing is still on cloud nine after leading her team to their first premiership.
The gun forward was named player of the match in the women’s grand final as the Burketown side defeated Doomadgee 12-10 in Normanton on Saturday.
“It’s still surreal, to be honest,” Aitkens-Kum-Sing said.
“It feels really good. The team’s been working hard and it’s only been two years since the Moungibi Magawas have been in the competition.
“Normanton and Doomadgee got a head start on us.”
To win the grand final, the Magawas had to beat the Normanton Stingers in the semi-final, which they did 28-4, and then had to back up to face a fresh Dragons outfit.
Aitkens-Kum-Sing said it was no easy task beating their rivals, having trailed 10-4 before going on to score the last two tries of the game.
“I think when we were down, I got back onto the field and just ripped them, basically,” the co-captain said.
“I just told them what I expected from them and how we should be playing. They were all silent looking at me.
“In that instance, I just wanted to make sure to show up for my girls.”
Aitkens-Kum-Sing then led by example, scoring the next try to cut Doomadgee’s lead to two, before Leila Anderson crossed for the winner.
“We just pulled through for each other,” she said.
The skipper said she believed the term Magawas meant “sisters” and that’s was the spirit shown by the women’s rugby league team.
“Unfortunately, the men’s team couldn’t get the players so had to forfeit their semi-final,” Aitkens-Kum-Sing said.
“It was like we had to be the ones to stand up for the community.”
The 29-year-old, who now lives in Cloncurry but grew up in Burketown, said she hoped to lead the Magawas to back-to-back wins in 2026.